10 Reasons Why You Might Be Failing (& How to Change That)

There is loads of information out there that focus on matters of success and achievement along with the techniques to get you there. But while there is much information about what leads to success there isn’t much about the major causes of failure.

One of the most influential writers on success and achievement, Napoleon Hill, made note of these 30 major causes of failure in his most influential book of all time -“Think and Grow Rich.”

While it is important to remember that there is a solution to every problem, we find that there are other causes of failure that derive from our own self. This article focuses on these types of failures – if one is really serious about making moves during their existence – it is highly recommended you are sure to rid yourself of these causes of failure immediately.

1) Lack of Well Defined Purpose in Life

It is much more difficult to stumble upon success than there is of focusing your intent on achieving a specific goal and striving towards its realization. Find out what you want out of life, and go for it.

2) Lack of Ambition to Aim Above Mediocrity

Success requires hard work, motivation, and persistence. If one is content with being one of the crowd, one will not reach high positions in life because he lacks the internal desire.

3) Lack of Self-Discipline

Discipline can only be acquired through self-control. It is not something that is received over night. It takes much power to control your negative qualities such as over indulgence in many different procrastination-inducing activities.

4) Procrastination

No matter what you read about the law of attraction. Only thinking about something will not make it happen. If you keep putting something off, it will never be done. Get started on what you need to do, don’t wait for the ‘right time’.

5) Lack of Persistence

At this time of existence, our generation is overrun with a high amount of self-indulgence as well as instant-gratification expectations. Because of this we are automatically searching for ways to feed our laziness while expecting everything to be done for us. Due to this when people find the going getting tough, they duck out too early instead of pushing through. This is one of the biggest causes of failure.

6) Negative Personality

Those with negative personalities set from the get-go will not get very far in life. Through pessimism one will find themselves unconsciously taking on other qualities that lead to failure.

7) Fear of Criticism or Rejection

Those who would rather not try than fail will inevitably experience failure. Life is for experiencing. There fine line between simply going through the motions of life and actually living it. No one is perfect; no one gets it right the first time. Ask yourself, is your desire for something stronger than your fear of failing at it or the other way around?

8) Lack of Well Defined Power of Decision

It has been proven that people who succeed reach decisions promptly and change them slowly. Those who fail to make decisions or make them slowly have a better chance at failure in the given situation. There is little difference between indecision and procrastination.

9) Lack of Concentration

If your mind is spread all over the place, the amount of concentration on any given thing wears thin. Keep your concentration on your main chief aim, do not move it elsewhere unless need be.

10) Lack of Enthusiasm

If you aren’t enthusiastic about whatever it is you are trying to accomplish, you can’t expect others around you to be convinced of your success let alone yourself. Develop a deep passion for your efforts.

Now that you’ve read this don’t move on to the next article or site, stop for a minute. Take a self-inventory for a second. Are you falling victim to any of these causes of failure?

I’m glad to read this. It looks like in terms of my own goals, every now and then I get a slight, ever so slight amount of #9 in. And then I stop myself and re-concentrate on the task at hand. Who knows, maybe I just have a little A.D.D. But According to this article I’m not going to fail at what I want most in this world and that’s a good sign. Thanks Jordan!

Great list. One big thing I would add is knowledge. One of my goals is to become a flexible human and I have spend a lot time stretching without results. Until I learned that results will not come without proper technique (specifically breathing deeper into each stretch until that muscle is lengthened) my flexibility remained the same as did my frustration. One simple addition of knowledge and I reached my goal. :)